<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>No-one But Me by KittyHawke</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25376458">No-one But Me</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittyHawke/pseuds/KittyHawke'>KittyHawke</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Old Guard (Movie 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Developing Relationship, Injury Recovery, M/M, Mild Gore</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 10:34:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,987</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25376458</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittyHawke/pseuds/KittyHawke</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Yusuf is killed by someone who isn't Nicolo. Nicolo isn't happy about it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>492</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>No-one But Me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I love these two, their relationship and the possibilities in their backstory so I decided to take a risk and add my writing to the many great interpretations in this fandom.</p><p>A couple of notes about this story: First, I was curious about the healing process involved in mortal limb removal, so I indulged my imagination here. Second, I think there was a period of time between them ceasing to kill each other and actually becoming a couple, and this scene is set at that time. It does seem to edge towards the latter time at the end though :)</p><p>If there are any inaccuracies, I apologise and hope it doesn't disturb your enjoyment.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>No-one else has ever killed Yusuf. His fellow knights recognised that only Nicolo had the power to go against the Saracen on an equal footing, and they sought each other out on the battlefield. He didn’t think that he’d be possessive about that fact, but here we are.</p><p>They are on their way towards Egypt, guided by Yusuf, and it is his idea to stop in Petra to admire the ruins. One dune of shifting sand looks the same as any other to Nicolo, so he isn’t sure how far from their destination they are when it happens.</p><p><em>It</em> is a sudden searing pain in his spine that instantly turns the world to darkness. He can feel himself falling, but he is dead before he hits the ground.</p><p>When he comes to, it is to the sight of Yusuf crossing swords with three men swathed in cloth. He is an excellent fighter- Nicolo can attest- but even he is struggling to defend himself from three directions. Nicolo struggles to sit up, fumbles in the sand for his sword, and has risen to one knee when he hears the distinct sound of sliced flesh and bone.</p><p>He turns his head and sees that Yusuf’s body no longer has one. He freezes as he watches it waver in place, the sword falling from its limp hands, before collapsing into the sand. In the corner of his eye, he sees a dark ball of hair rolling away down the dune.</p><p>The bandits’ cheers are cut short when they see him, very much alive and gripping the hilt of his sword, but their confusion doesn’t last long. They rush forward and Nicolo responds with practiced instinct, standing and swinging the sword with all of his strength, slicing his first attacker directly under the arm. The sword makes it halfway through his body before stopping, leaving him stuck on the blade with his mouth hanging open like a dying fish. With some difficulty, Nicolo manages to pull it free and let the body drop, in time to greet the bandit’s friend with a sharp jab that sends the point cleanly through his chest. Nicolo twists it a little inside the man’s body before ripping it out, ready to meet the third, except that he’s gone.</p><p>His back is halfway down the dune as he runs away. Under normal circumstances Nicolo would let him- stabbing a fleeing enemy in the back is not in keeping with the code of chivalry- but his blood is boiling and he will not let him get away. He steals a bow left on one of the corpses, notches one of the arrows and aims. A second later, his last remaining enemy falls forward and Nicolo allows himself a small smile of grim triumph.</p><p>The adrenalin of victory lasts only a second. He drops the bow and runs back to Yusuf’s body, which remains headless and still. What was he expecting, that a new head would grow back? He doesn’t know what to do. They’ve never done this to each other. For all their increasingly inventive ways of killing, they have never adopted one of the most tried and true methods of dispatching an enemy on the battlefield.</p><p>(There is a reason for this. There is a reason for everything in Nicolo’s mind, and the reason is now laid out in front of him.)</p><p>He takes off down the dune, slipping on the shifting sands, grateful to find the head not too far away. As he reaches it, he sees the eyes suddenly light up with pain and fear, before turning glassy once more. The relief is unexpected, a physical force that punches him in the gut and momentarily steals his breath. Yusuf is not gone. He just needs to reunite the head and body, and he will heal.</p><p>He rushes back, falls to his knees and holds the head in place against the neck. He waits anxiously for a miracle. It doesn’t come. The dark eyes brighten for a moment and then dim again.</p><p>“Come on” Nicolo hisses. He presses a little harder, just in case that might help. The eyes light up and turn dull again and again. He waits to see another spark of life before saying Yusuf’s name, looking for a response, but he is gone again too quickly.</p><p>*</p><p>He has been sitting there for two hours before he starts to notice any difference. The skin at the side of Yusuf’s neck is starting to sew itself back together. Nicolo breathes out slowly, sparing one hand to rub his sore throat. It is mid-afternoon, when they should both be in the shade, and he is desperately thirsty. The water skin is only a few metres away, but reaching it means leaving Yusuf. Does he still need to stay and hold the head in place? It’s not a risk he’s willing to take.</p><p>His head hurts from squinting against the sun and he can feel every one of its rays striking his skin. It’s pointless to close Yusuf’s eyes as they keep springing open, so Nicolo hovers his free hand above his face, creating a shield to protect him from being blinded. Idly he ruffles his wiry curls. In the brief moments that he is awake, perhaps it will let him know that Nicolo is there and he’s going to be alright.</p><p>*</p><p>The temperature has dropped and the desert is turning dark when Nicolo finally releases his hold on Yusuf’s head. His neck is well-connected now, although there is still a gaping hole through which Nicolo can see his spine, and he is still reviving and dying. Nevertheless it seems safe to grab the water skin and he drinks greedily. He has to force himself to stop and preserve water, not knowing where the next oasis will be. He kneels down beside Yusuf’s body and continues to watch him fade in and out of life, waiting and pretending that he isn’t truly worried.</p><p>*</p><p>The stars are glistening like diamonds when Yusuf’s eyes once again reflect their light, and this time it isn’t extinguished. He sits up with a groan and presses a hand to his neck, instinctively searching for the scar that won’t be there. Nicolo retreats a few feet and acts unconcerned. Yusuf turns to look at him and his teeth shine when he smiles.</p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>Nicolo looks at him blankly. “Only I’m allowed to kill you.”</p><p>“Well, now you know how.”</p><p>“Now I do.”</p><p>He will never in millennia do that to him. He suspects Yusuf knows that. The other man stands up and stretches, moaning as he reaches back to rub his neck. Nicolo’s mind goes to an unnerving place and he almost slaps his own face to chase the thoughts away.</p><p>“I heard you” Yusuf says.</p><p>He frowns and slightly shakes his head. “Heard what?”</p><p>“You said my name, stroked my hair, sang Italian lullabies to me.”</p><p>“I didn’t sing to you,” Nicolo retorts, affronted. “I had to do something to pass the time. You took hours. Never do that again.”</p><p>“I’ll try not to,” Yusuf smiles. “I would hate to deprive you of the honour you’ve been chasing for so long…”</p><p>His smile slips as Nicolo gets to his feet, ready to start moving again, and immediately stumbles sideways.</p><p>“Nicolo?”</p><p>He is frozen in place, watching in bewilderment as the world spins around him. There is a terrible feeling in his gut, one of those worst feelings he’s ever had, worse than illness or even a blade through his body. <em>I’m going to die. I’m actually going to die. This is how it feels.</em></p><p>The world goes black again.</p><p>The first thing he hears is Yusuf’s voice behind him…No, above him…Muffled, but becoming clearer by the minute. He’s staring at the sky and he’s not sure how he ended up in this position.</p><p>“Nicolo? Nicolo, destati.”</p><p>“Sto bene,” he mutters. “Dammi un minuto.”</p><p>Yusuf’s face appears above him, looking concerned, and he realises that the support at the back of his neck is his arm. He tries to get up immediately, but Yusuf- il bastardo- dips his arm to make him lie down again.</p><p>“Don’t get up quickly. Have some water.”</p><p>The skin is held in front of his face and he takes a few sips, realising how dry his throat has become. He’s had too much water today. He hopes Yusuf knows of a nearby oasis.</p><p>“What happened?” he asks.</p><p>“I think sunstroke. You didn’t get any shade?”</p><p>“I couldn’t. I thought your head was going to fall off again.”</p><p>Yusuf laughs and the vibrations carry through his body into Nicolo’s. It feels nice. It feels better than it should.</p><p>“You save me and I save you. We should be careful or we will end up in debt to each other.”</p><p>Nicolo laughs and immediately regrets it as nausea hits. Yusuf releases him to let him vomit what little he has in his stomach, and when it’s done, he falls back into the other man’s arms without either of them needing to say anything. He should really get up and put some distance between them, but it’s comfortable here and he has a great view of the stars. It wouldn’t hurt to stay here a little longer and enjoy the moment.</p><p>“No-one gets to kill you except me,” Yusuf remarks playfully. “If anything is going to steal that honour from me, it will certainly not be the sun.”</p><p>Niccolo raises a smile. “I knew you weren’t being kind to me.”</p><p>Yusuf’s hand traces gently over his arm and he begins to sing quietly in Arabic. His soft voice murmuring in that increasingly familiar, but still exotic language is one of the most relaxing sounds Nicolo has heard since leaving Genova. He closes his eyes for a moment to enjoy the music and then opens them again, looking up at Yusuf.</p><p>He’s a good man. Nicolo doesn’t know where along the road he changed from being an ally compelled by circumstances, to someone he likes and wants to be around, but it has happened. Maybe it was fate that it did. They are bound together for a reason and he is no longer certain that it is for the purpose of a grand plan. It may be as simple as having someone to share a never-ending life with.</p><p>The thought of spending his days with Yusuf is a pleasant one.</p><p>“Yusuf” he whispers, but the singing stops as if he’d spoken aloud.</p><p>“What is it?”</p><p>“No-one will kill you but me. I promise.”</p><p>There is silence as Yusuf considers his words, and then he feels fingers combing gently through his hair.</p><p>“I cannot promise the same, Nicolo,” he says regretfully. “But I can promise that anyone who does will regret it.”</p><p>Nicolo doesn’t doubt that. Yusuf is ruthless in battle and he vaguely pities the next soul who arouses his fury.</p><p>“Swear it.”</p><p>He holds up his hand and Yusuf clasps it, sealing the pact.</p><p>*</p><p>Nicolo sleeps that night with a barely remembered sense of peace, as if the Holy Spirit had descended and soothed his mind. From now on, he knows Yusuf cannot be easily taken from him and he has a great deal more confidence that he will not leave of his own choice. He had not realised that these were worries until they ceased to be.</p><p>(They are soon replaced by new concerns, a new duel between his reality and his faith’s teachings, but there are worse problems. In comparison to the slaughter of a holy war and the uncertainty of the future as an immortal, he cannot feel more than inconvenienced that his thoughts about Yusuf are progressing beyond friendly relations.)</p><p>For now, however, the night is calm. Nicolo keeps one hand on his sword and his body in front of Yusuf’s. They are safe and together, and that is all that matters.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed and if you did, I'd be very happy if you left a kudos or comment. Have a good day.</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>